3VTT: Summer opening weekend in the Three Valleys

Andy and I have been back in Meribel now for 3 weeks during which time we’ve caught up with friends, made some new ones, walked many kms with the dog on both sides of the Meribel valley and done a spot of mountain-biking too.

Our mountain biking efforts have all been in preparation for the opening of the ski lifts this weekend. The lifts give access to countless mtb opportunities on singletrack, doubletrack, man-built routes and natural wooded trails across the whole of the 3 valleys ski area.

To celebrate the start of summer 2011 there were 2 mountain-bike events (labelled the 3VTT) to showcase the best the 3 Valleys have to offer. Saturday saw 150 competitors launch themselves down a trail from the top of the Saulire (at 2,600m altitude) to Brides-Les-Bains (at 600m) – a 2,000m descent across a 20km route. The sun blazed and the riders flew down the marshalled route, the fastest time recorded being 27 minutes and 4 seconds! We chose to spectate rather than participate this year, saving ourselves for Sunday’s challenge.

On Sunday the whole of the 3 valleys was open for business with an 80km marshalled ‘Rando tour’ route that allows participants to take in all 3 valleys in one day. Participants can set off from any resort on the route. Our day started with 5 of our keen mountain-biking buddies at 9am at the Tougnete lift station in Meribel. From there we went up to the mid-station of the lift and warmed up with a run down to Mottaret to take the Pas Du Lac lift right to the top of the Saulire. We then proceeded to follow the Courchevel loop which begins with a fairly steep and technical section down the side of the Creux ski piste (a red run). Singletrack turned into slide-tastic stony doubletrack before entering the woods for some rocky and rooty runs.

We hit Courchevel 1650 for some elevenses at one of the refuelling stations – bread, ham, cheese, dried fruit, water, wine (this is France!) and coca-cola all available for participants.

We headed off again, re-energised and refreshed on target for Le Praz 1300 and then a bit of a climb up to La Tania (1400) where we could refuel again and take a lift up to begin the next section. At one point we biked through a herd of grass-munching cows who didn’t seem perturbed by us helmet-clad mountain-bikers charging through their pasture. Our team’s next stop was Meribel where some essential bike maintenance took place. At this point Andy and I nipped back through Meribel village to Les Allues to let our dogs out for a call of nature before rejoining our team and heading back up the Tougnete lift (this time to the top) to continue our trek. From vantage points on the lifts we’d noticed some trails off the official 80km route and couldn’t resist deviating to take in the Lac Tueda, the Ours ski run and then the singletrack down the Saulire. This run formed part of the Freebike route from the day before. We weren’t disappointed with our choice. Although we didn’t get across to the St. Martin valley we had a brilliant last couple of hours taking in our chosen routes, the Saulire singletrack providing one of the many highlights of the day.

We finished at the Taverne pub in the centre of Meribel at 5.30pm with a long-lusted after pint, inspected our dusty, slightly battered arms and legs and reflected on the excellent day we’d all had. If there was one thing we learned yesterday it was that the 3 valleys has a huge amount to offer any keen mountain-biker: lifts to take the strain out of the up-hill, countless trails and routes that include technical sections, singletrack, doubletrack, woods, open ground, streams, lakes, stunning scenery and of course some decent bars to compare notes with like-minded people.

Now the lifts are open 6 days a week until the end of August so the 3 Valleys is our oyster for the next 8 weeks....bring it on!

To find out more about mountain-biking in the 3 valleys check out the 3 Valleys website and of course for accommodation and more click through to Alpine Ethos

2010-11 Season Round-Up

Having had a few weeks to relax and reflect following our second season as Alpine Ethos we wanted to share some of what made winter 2010-11 one to remember.

The season began in promising style with snow galore from November into December and the opening of the lifts was eagerly anticipated by all. Our first day back on the slopes didn’t disappoint with foot deep powder to play in. Surely this boded well for a snow-filled season?

Our premiere neige guests revelled in the best early conditions for many years and we thoroughly enjoyed showing them around some of our favourite parts of the 3 valleys. At new year we hosted guests who’d come all the way from the middle of the Australian summer to hit the slopes with their English friends but they didn’t let the change in temperature deter them and enjoyed lots of sunny skiing.

The sun continued to shine, only interrupted by a couple of days of snowfall in mid-January which meant beautiful conditions for the early to mid-season during which we were visited by the Bristol snowboard crew, the OAPs (well, a group of 20-somethings in fancy dress) and some of the Lake District mountain rescue team amongst others.

By mid-February we started to worry that our half-term guests would struggle in the hard-pack conditions but the dancing paid off and the snow-gods delivered the night before their arrival meaning great fun was had by all during one of the busiest weeks on the slopes.

Tempted by the new technology in snowboard design we were excited to hear the first news of winter sales. Orders were made and our new snowboards (Heather: a K2 VaVaVoom and Andy: a Rossignol One) arrived and were taken out to play. The new flexible nature and rockered camber of Heather’s board meant more on-piste tricks & jumps whilst the magnatraction on Andy’s board made a real difference in the hard-pack conditions.

March was a busy month In which we played our part in the first Alpine Ethos marriage proposal, identifying a fantastic proposal location (top of the Olympic chairlift on a clear sunny day in case you wondered) and chilled and transported the requested champagne to a picnic area a few hundred metres below. In such beautiful surroundings who could decline a man on his knees in the snow? Congratulations to Rachel & Andy, we wish them all the best. Can we interest you in an Alpine honeymoon?!

We also hosted our second Snowboard Camp in conjunction with Cab9 snowboard school. Eleven guys and girls took part this year and with excellent coaching from Jono & Lee were competently riding, buttering, jibbing, riding switch, hitting boxes and kickers in style by the end of the week.

Later on in the month Heather took part in the Meribel She-Ride Freesession, an event arranged by local snowboard schools and sponsoring bars and shops. The event was designed to encourage girls into the park and despite the low cloud and rain early in the day it did just that. The girls were hitting the kickers, rails and boxes in the Meribel Moonpark in quick succession competing for the prizes the shops had offered. Everyone improved and enjoyed the day immensely making new friends and promising themselves more regular park-time in the future.

Whilst the weather warmed up in April, we tip our helmets to the Three Valleys piste teams who did an amazing job of ensuring as many runs as possible were open right through until the end of the season.

As I’m sure you can tell, we really enjoyed season 2010-11 and whilst our attentions have turned to the summer and mountain biking, we are also already thinking ahead, planning for and taking bookings for next season. We hope to see you then if not before!

Catered or self-catered chalet holidays, which offer best value?

The combination of the arrival the first snow of the winter in the Alps this week, the Metro Ski & Snow Show and the UK government’s announcement on budget cuts has generated lots of newsprint about how holiday-makers can maximise their value for money this winter.

At Alpine Ethos we recognise that value for money is of paramount importance to any holiday maker but we also recognise that dirt cheap doesn’t necessarily equal value for money. So here’s our two penn’rth on whether self-catered or fully catered ski holidays offer the best value for money.

Most of the really eye catching deals at this time of year are for self-catered holidays, often in the early season. The advantages offered by a self-catered break are clear. You have the flexibility of being able to eat when, where and what you want and theoretically spend within your budget. However the question is does this provide good value for money?

The answer is...it depends. You can satisfy your mountain fuelled hunger with bread and jam for breakfast, bread & cheese for lunch and pasta and sauce (or equivalent budget meals) for tea. Wash this lot down with some vin ordinaire (unless you're French maybe?) and you’ll be living the bargain-hunter’s dream.

The real question you have to ask is “what do I want from my holiday”? Are you going to want to cook (in what will probably be a small kitchen) every night, wash up and clear down after an epic day on the mountain? If you are in a big group, are you used to cooking for that many people? If you are happy with the cooking there is then the cost to consider.

It’s no secret that mountain resort shops and supermarkets ain’t cheap. You see a large “mountain tax” on every product from booze to broccoli and sometimes it can be an eye-watering calculation to make. On top of that, eating out in the mountains can be pretty pricey too. A decent pizza and a pint can cost you 15 euros and who has just one pint or no pudding on holiday?

A fully-catered chalet holiday is a different kettle of fish. Choose a good company (we’d suggest an independent operator – of course!) and you’ll have the strain taken out of the holiday and give yourself more time to relax with friends and family.

Most operators (us included) will offer hot and cold options for breakfast, tea and freshly baked cake when you get back from the slopes and a 3 course meal with wine/beer for dinner. Your holiday costs are fixed when you make the booking (no worrying about the exchange rate upping a food bill), the washing up is done, the menu is set, the fussier eaters in your group are looked after by understanding chalet staff and you’re not doing the cooking! All you have to worry about is whether you want red or white with dinner and where to eat on your day off.

While a fully catered holiday might seem expensive up front the actual cost at the end of your holiday might not be all that different to a self-catered break. If that little extra money means the difference between pasta and sauce and something like this, is there any real competition?

Winter's nearly here - getting the right gear

As many readers will know, team Alpine Ethos made it back to resort this week. It’s been a few days of unpacking, dealing with the summer post and adjusting back to the pace of mountain life. The weather has been glorious since our arrival. The autumnal colours on the trees look stunning and we’ve taken full advantage of the views of them whilst out walking with Benny.

We have also reacquainted ourselves with our local, La Tsaretta in Les Allues and met Steve, the new business owner, who took over during the summer. He’s been making a few changes to the bar including a new paint job (deep red downstairs – very nice), a new sound and light system, TV and projector and a new menu overseen by head chef, Paul.

Inspired by all the chatter on Goneboarding about the new kit people are planning to buy / wear on the slopes this season we thought we’d share our top to bottom guide of what you need to be comfortable, safe & stylish on the slopes this season:

Helmet – a safety garment for sure but can be stylish and should be comfy & warm too.
Goggles/sunnies – protect your eyes from those UV rays with some trendy eyewear. A second pair of goggles/an additonal lens for flat light conditions can be very useful too.
Buff – good for keeping any cold breeze from whistling down your neck
Thermal baselayer – we’re big fans of merino but this is pricey. A Lifa or other synthetic baselayer will do the job.
Midlayer – this can be anything from a t-shirt to a fleece, it depends how cold it is outside, how warm/cold you like to be and how warm your outerlayer is too.
Jacket – A fashion item as well as a must for keeping you dry and warm.
Long Johns – not the height of fashion we admit but if you have shell-like trousers as opposed to insulated ones you’ll appreciate the added warmth.
Ski/snowboarding pants – Baggy, bright, warm and waterproof is our motto here.
Socks – perhaps the most important piece of kit we own, we go for the single layer, ski/boarding sock which have padded bits where you need them.
Boots – Every skier/boarder has their own preference but getting a good fit is essential for maximum enjoyment on the slopes.
Skis/snowboard – whatever your thing, park, piste, off-piste there are skis and boards out there to suit every style.

Here's wishing away the autumn for winter and a big dump of snow!

The 3 Valleys gets better & better....

With kids back to school and our inbox filling up with booking enquiries for the up-coming ski season, we thought it would be a great time spread the news about what our guests can expect from the slopes this season. Every year, the lift pass company invests time and money into improving the Three Valleys ski area and this year is no exception.

Beginner skiers and snowboarders will be able to take advantage of improvements being made to the Altiport area (Meribel’s designated area for beginner skiers/boarders) which include a new ‘cool moon’ quiet piste and a wooded nature trail piste for children learning to ski. The Doron Zen area above Mottaret is also being made gentler to make it easier and more fun for beginners.

Other measures to help people improve their skiing and boarding include an overhaul of the Plattieres Snowpark to make it more accessible to skiers and boarders of all levels and upgrades to the blue (beginner’s) freestyle course at the Moonpark which is being enlarged and new obstacles added.

More experienced skiers will benefit from the improvement to the Cote Brune chairlift which will have an increased capacity of 15% next season making it quicker to get to the higher altitude slopes in the Meribel Valley as well as over to the pistes in Val Thorens. New snow fences (which accumulate the snow) will improve the snow conditions on the Campagnol and Venturon pistes whilst the middle section of the Lac de Chambre piste (coming back from Val Thorens) is also being enhanced.

Improvements will be noticeable in neighbouring Courcheval and include the installation of new snow cannons ensuring that guests can enjoy the tree-lined runs down to La Tania all season long, as well as upgrades to the Family Park and redevelopment of the Women’s World Cup course ready for the race on 21 December.

Those looking to take a break from the slopes will be able to head to the new snack bar at the Adray Telebar where you will be able to relax and take in the view on their new piste-side sun terrace.

If you’re anything like us all this talk of snow will only serve to fuel your desire to liberate your ski kit and hit the slopes! Only 85 days to go...

Meribel lifts open 4th December 2010. All information courtesy of Merinet.com

The 7 step Alpine Ethos guide to booking your ski holiday

With the summer hols drawing to a close and many peoples’ thoughts turning to their next holiday in the snow, we thought we’d produce a short guide to all those things worth considering when you’re booking your (independent) ski holiday.

1. Who is in your group?

This is your starting point. The size, make up (family/friends/couples/lads/girls) and skiing/snowboarding ability of your party will determine to some extent where you go, how you will travel and the type of accommodation you will need.

2. Deciding where to go

Ski resorts vary enormously from the picturesque postcard resort of gingerbread house style chalets (Meribel) to their concrete constructed ugly sisters (Flaine); some are famed for live music and après-ski (Val d’Isere), others for on-piste (Serre Chevalier) and off-piste (La Grave) skiing; some are more beginner and/or child friendly, some have many snow parks (Morzine) and others pride themselves on having something for everyone including non-skiers. Groomed slopes and ski lifts vary in number from resort to resort from a small handful (St. Foy) to huge numbers in ski areas that link multiple resorts on one lift pass (Three Valleys / Portes de Soleil). Think high resorts (Val Thorens) for guaranteed snow conditions for early and late season breaks and lower resorts for easy road access.

3. How will you get there?

Now you’ve decided where to go there are a variety of options open to you in respect of how you get there. Flight + transfer, train + transfer or self-drive are the main ways of getting your group out to resort. Flight-wise there could be up to 4 airports local to your ski resort so researching the best option from your nearest home airport is best but don’t forget to factor in your transfer cost. Your chalet operator will often provide a transfer (either included in the price or for a small additional fee) so it’s worth checking with them first. Those taking the train can go direct overnight or during the day from London St. Pancras to Moutiers or Bourg-St. Maurice. Another option requires a quick connection dash across Paris (this is often cheaper but perhaps not one best taken with children in your party). Favoured by families is the self-drive option which often provides best value if there are 4 or more in the car. Don’t forget it’s a 10 hr or so drive to many resorts from Calais so take plenty of in-car entertainment!

4. What type of accommodation and catering are you looking for?

Ski resort accommodation includes chalets, apartments and hotels. Independently booked chalets will generally be run by enthusiastic hosts (often by the business owners themselves) and are usually fully catered to include breakfast, afternoon tea and evening meals with drinks although it is possible to find self-catered chalets. Apartments are usually self-catered and often you will be left alone once you have picked up your key. Hotels are much like hotels the world over - usually a perfectly comfortable (if perhaps a more impersonal than a catered chalet) way to spend your ski holiday. Families with young children should remember to ask about facilities and menus for younger family members. Another thing to bear in mind is the make-up of the rooms. Many will be twins and doubles but family suites and triples are also available. Check the location of your accommodation too. If you’re not within easy reach of the slopes or the ski bus, does your accommodation provide transport to and from the lifts? Don’t forget, if you go self-catered you will need to think about food and drink; is your accommodation in easy reach of supermarkets and/or restaurants? Factor in a food budget and don’t forget food bought in supermarket resorts is a lot pricier than in your local Tesco’s!

5. Booking lessons, equipment hire, lift passes, ski lockers etc

For all of these things, we recommend speaking with your chalet operator. They will often be able to order your lift passes, book your ski locker (if you want one) and point you in the direction of the nearest (and/or best value) ski hire company. They will also know who’s hot and who’s not when it comes to ski and snowboard instruction in resort. Tap them up for information and booking advice.

6. Insurance

Our advice is don’t leave home without it! Accidents do unfortunately happen, even if they aren’t your fault and you don’t want to be caught short of insurance if you need to be airlifted or stretchered off the mountain. Check your travel insurance small print and make sure you’re covered. If you do happen to leave home without sorting it out, buy the insurance on offer with your lift pass which covers you for all your activities on the mountain.

7. Having fun

This is the easy bit. If you’ve taken everything above into account then you’ve done the hard work. Sit back and relax with a vin chaud and a big slice of cake after a hard day on the slopes!

Mountains of food!

As many of you know it’s been a busy summer for Alpine Ethos with numerous social functions; weddings, birthdays, camping trips and so on which has given rise to lots of opportunities to talk about what we do for a living. It seems that people are (perhaps not surprisingly) quite interested in our chalet venture compared to our previous lives working in the financial sector and often ask us about it at length. Invariably the subject turns to food; what we serve in the chalet and what the local specialities are in and around Meribel and so the inspiration for today’s blog.

Mountain regions the world over are known for their cheese production, and the Savoie is no exception. Local cheeses including beaufort and comte are used in abundance to create that ski resort favourite, the fondue. Traditionally a heated pot of cheese melted together with white wine is placed in the centre of the table and served with bread cubes for dipping and cold, cured meats and salad as accompaniments. Another traditional cheese focused dish is raclette, where a large wedge of (raclette) cheese is presented on a tray-with-heat-element contraption for you to melt the cheese and scrape it onto your plate of potatoes, gherkins, cured meat and salad – yum!

As if this wasn’t enough of a cheese-fest, another local speciality is the humble tartiflette; an oven baked dish of creamy, carbohydrate-loaded loveliness using potatoes, lardons (bacon bits), cream and reblochon cheese.

For those meat lovers, the ‘pierre chaud’ may be your dish of choice, literally a ‘hot stone’ which is brought to your table with a platter of raw meat for you to sizzle to your liking. A variation of the fondue is also found where the cheesy sauce is replaced with hot oil for you to cook strips of meat at your table.

Many of you will already have heard of the dishes described above, so onto a couple of other local plates we’ve come across. Diots de Savoie is the name of the local sausage, possibly the meatiest pork sausage you’ll ever come across which is often found on menus braised in white wine and served with crozets. Crozets are little squares of buckwheat pasta (specific to the Savoie) which are boiled then put into a dish with cream and cheese and baked before serving. It’s not unusual to order a steak in Meribel and find it served with French fries, crozets and bread for that sleep-inducing triple carb hit! We suppose the active lifestyle of the mountains justifies this Atkins-unfriendly feasting.

All this talk of food is making us hungry, time to stock up on some good old UK favourites before we head back to France....Yorkshire pudding anyone?